


Lost

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 01:19:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7664722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louisa gets lost in the GED worksite and panics. Fortunately, Meteorrain remembers the way out. Written before the second lot of quests there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost

Meteorrain’s ears pricked up as he heard his rider inhale a shaky breath. He’d trotted past the same bulldozer several times now, but at least the driver had stopped sounding the horn. It had spooked him the first few times, and it was only the gentle reassurances of his rider that stopped him from bolting.

Maybe the GED site outside Old Hillcrest wasn’t the best place to explore, but Louisa liked it anyway. She said that she liked to look at the buildings that were in progress. Personally, Meteorrain thought that it was a bit silly. The choking smog made it hard to breathe, and it smelled really bad. He snorted and shook his head.

 _“Are we done here now?”_ he asked his rider. _“I don’t like it here, Louisa.”_

 _“I know. I’m sorry. If there was a way for me to get in and out of here safely without a horse, I’d go on my own,”_ said Louisa. Meteorrain shook his head again and stopped walking.

 _“None of us would allow that,”_ he said. _“We’d all be too worried about you. You can’t outrun GED on foot, you just can’t.”_

 _“I know,”_ said Louisa. She squeezed his sides with her knees, and Meteorrain obediently went where his rider wanted to go. He could feel his rider’s happiness, and that was reason enough to stay here.

But now that happiness was giving way to a far more sinister emotion. He could almost see her fear, it was that palpable. He heard her repeating a word over and over to herself as she urged him into a canter. They passed the building site a few times before Louisa finally found the right direction and cantered down a slope to more buildings. Meteorrain flattened his ears against his head. She was so scared that his reins jittered against his neck.

“We’re lost,” said Louisa aloud. She looked at the GED workers who were patrolling, and Meteorrain knew without looking that her eyes were wide with fear. She whimpered, then directed Meteorrain into a gallop. They galloped up the stairs that wrapped one of the buildings, and Louisa took a deep breath when they came out onto a landing.

 _“Breathe,”_ said Meteorrain. If that was even possible in this choking smog. His rider slumped forward, her hands sliding around to hug his neck, and he felt the warm wetness of tears in his mane.

 _“I’m so sorry, I got us lost. Now we’ll get caught and end up in prison and it’ll be all my fault.”_ Meteorrain could hear his rider’s thoughts clearly, even as she sobbed into his black mane. He could feel her crushing guilt, but he didn’t let it affect him. They’d never get out unless one of them took control.

 _“It’s okay. I know the way out,”_ said Meteorrain. _“You just stay on my back.”_

Meteorrain trotted out of the building and down the stairs, then walked over to the other building adjacent to this one and walked up those stairs. Louisa was still trembling on his back, but he couldn’t hear her crying anymore. Not that that meant anything. Her heartbeat was loud in his ears. Honestly, it was quite difficult for Meteorrain to ignore her terror. But he had to, and as they dropped over the fence, he felt the terror vanish as though it had never been there.

“Thank you,” Louisa whispered to him, rubbing his ears. “You’re a good horse.” Meteorrain turned his head around to look at her and discovered that she was still crying. But she was smiling now. That was good, at least.

 _“Shall I take you home?”_ asked Meteorrain.

“Um. No,” said Louisa. “Take me to Jupiter. He probably has some of that special druid tea. I need some to calm me down.”

Meteorrain complied, taking his rider to the druid who still stood on the hill looking into the GED construction site. He watched as Louisa dismounted and sobbed into the man’s shoulder. While Jupiter poured Louisa a cup of the druid tea that she’d requested from a thermos, Meteorrain wandered away to graze. The fresh air felt good, and the fresh grass tasted even better. But what was the best was hearing his rider chatting amiably to the older man. Her happiness washed over him in waves, and he felt perfectly content.


End file.
